NEWS

(L-R) Steven Kane, Senior Quality & Standards Advisor at Tourism NI pictured with Emma and Pete Hathaway, owners of Peatlands. A luxury countryside retreat near Ballymoney has received a major tourism boost after being awarded four stars by Tourism Northern Ireland’s Quality Grading Scheme, recognising the high standards, comfort and distinctive experience it offers visitors to the North Coast area. Peatlands, a secluded family-run accommodation business set within three acre

JF Travel, Ballymena Award-winning travel agency JF Travel is celebrating its first anniversary in Ballymena, marking a significant milestone for the growing independent business as it continues to expand its presence across Northern Ireland. The anniversary marks another step forward in the company’s steady growth journey, from a small office launch nearly a decade ago to a multi-branch business now serving customers across the region. A growing local success story Led by di

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured at the Giant’s Causeway. Visitor numbers from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland surged in 2025, delivering a major boost to the local economy with spending jumping by almost a third in a single year. New figures show a 15% rise in trips from the south, alongside a striking 31% increase in visitor spending — a trend being hailed as a powerful sign of growing cross-border tourism momentum. Strong growth in trips and sp

A new BBC Northern Ireland series sees Ronan Keating return to his roots, taking viewers on a personal and visually rich journey along Ireland’s iconic Wild Atlantic Coast. Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic blends travel, family, and heritage, offering audiences an intimate look at the places and experiences that have shaped the Irish star’s life. A personal journey along the west coast The series charts an ambitious route through some of Ireland’s most striking coastal counties

Belfast International Airport awarded Platinum level by BITC’s 2025 NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey. BITC’s MD Lisa McIlvenna presents the award to Belfast International Airport’s Evan Black and Kevin Napier. Belfast International Airport has been recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s most sustainable organisations after securing a prestigious Platinum rating in the 2025 NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey. The Airport, which is part of the VINCI Airports global netwo

With Christmas fast approaching, the Consumer Council has published a series of practical travel tips designed to help passengers prepare for smooth and stress-free journeys over the festive season. The organisation is urging travellers across Northern Ireland to plan ahead—whether flying from local airports, sailing, or using public transport—to avoid unnecessary delays at one of the busiest times of the year. Michelle Kelly, Head of Transport Policy at the Consumer Council,

Translink has urged passengers to plan ahead for festive travel as a series of adjusted Christmas and New Year timetables come into effect across Northern Ireland’s bus and rail services. The operator confirmed early finishes on key dates, full service cancellations on Christmas Day, and a range of special holiday timetables affecting NI Railways, Enterprise, Metro/Glider, Ulsterbus, Goldliner and airport express routes. A Translink spokesperson encouraged passengers to prepa

Pictured (L-R) is Alistair Caldwell (SSP Operations Manager), Dan Owens (CEO, Belfast International Airport), Michelle McKay (General Manager, Soul & Grain), Cathy Granby (Chief Operations Officer, SSP UK and MD Ireland), andRichard Attwood (Director of Business Development UK and Ireland). Belfast International Airport has unveiled ambitious plans to enhance its food and beverage offering as part of its wider £100 million, five-year investment programme. The airport, part of

Translink is encouraging Christmas shoppers across Northern Ireland to take the stress out of festive travel this year by taking full advantage of its extensive Park and Ride network. As thousands head into towns and city centres for shopping, dining and seasonal events, the transport operator says its Park and Ride sites provide a simple, affordable and congestion-free alternative to battling heavy traffic in the run-up to Christmas. Many sites will operate extended timetabl

Robin Swann MP at Antrim Train Station Over 1,200 residents and supporters have backed an open letter from Robin Swann MP urging Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins MLA to set out a clear, definitive timeline for reopening the Knockmore Railway Line between Lisburn and Antrim. The South Antrim MP has formally written to the Minister to present the letter, which calls for transparency, certainty and a firm commitment to move the long-awaited rail project forward. Mr Swann said

Ryanair has announced it will add more than 4,900 extra seats to and from Belfast for Christmas week 2025, as the carrier prepares for a surge in festive travel demand. The airline – Europe’s largest by passenger numbers – confirmed on Tuesday (25 November) that it expects to carry over 26,000 passengers through Belfast Airport during the busy holiday period, helping people return home in time to celebrate with their families. The additional seats have been introduced in resp

Pictured at the naming ceremony for Stena Line’s newest ship – Stena Futura – in Belfast Harbour were (L-R): Captain Colin Fleming; Paul Grant (Trade Director, Stena Line); Deputy First Minister NI Emma Little-Pengelly; Stena FuturaGodmother, Dr Madeleine Olsson Ericksson; Bert Ake Eriksson;  Dan Sten Olsson (Owner, Stena Line), Jane Thorburn Olsson (Olsson family), Niclas Martensson (CEO, Stena Line) and Dr Philip McGarry (Deputy Lieutenant of the Borough of Belfast). Belfas

South Antrim MP Robin Swann South Antrim MP Robin Swann has urged Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins MLA to confirm when the long-awaited feasibility study on reopening the Antrim–Lisburn railway line — widely known as the Knockmore Line — will finally be released to the public. Mr Swann, who has championed the restoration of the line since first being elected to Westminster, said the continued lack of clarity around publication was causing frustration among residents and st

Jonny Spiers, Customer Service Agent and Airport Autism Champion alongside Christine Kearney, Director of Development at Autism NI and Niall McElkearney, Terminal Operations Manager. Belfast International Airport has been recognised for its commitment to improving accessibility for neurodiverse passengers, after receiving the prestigious Autism NI Impact Award. The accolade highlights the airport’s efforts to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for autistic and

Cross-border Enterprise train Translink passengers are being advised of significant travel changes on the cross-border Enterprise service between Belfast and Dublin due to Irish Rail engineering works taking place from Saturday 25th to Monday 27th October. The line will be closed between Drogheda and Dublin Connolly for three days while essential engineering works are carried out by Irish Rail. As a result, bus substitutions will be in operation for the affected section of th

Translink’s MPV leaf busting train keeping Northern Ireland rail passengers moving As autumn takes hold, Translink has launched a major seasonal operation to tackle the annual “Leaf Fall” challenge, aiming to keep passengers across Northern Ireland moving safely and on time. Every year, fallen leaves combined with wet weather and train movement create a slick film on railway tracks — a problem similar to black ice on roads. This slippery residue reduces train traction, affect

Stena Connecta pictured during the naming ceremony in the CMI Shipyard in Weihai, China. Stena Line has officially named its newest vessel, Stena Connecta, at a ceremony held on 16 October at the CMI Shipyard in Weihai, China. The ferry will soon begin her maiden voyage to the Irish Sea, where she will operate alongside her sister ship, Stena Futura, to deliver a 40 percent boost in freight capacity on the Belfast–Heysham route. The event was attended by Stena Line CEO Niclas

British holidaymakers and business travellers heading to Europe are being urged to prepare for new digital border checks from today, as...

Ryanair has confirmed the completion of its rollout of larger free carry-on bag sizers across all 235 airports in Europe, giving...

Stena Futura sails into Belfast to a water salute Stena Line has welcomed the first of its new hybrid freight ferries to Belfast Harbour,...